Rocket From the Tombs

Black Record

(Fire)

The alter-ego of Pere Ubu's David Thomas, Crocus Behemoth, and bassist Craig Bell are the surviving members of proto-punk garage wonders Rocket From The Tombs. Yes, before the name-knocking Crypt-kickers emerged from San Diego, RFTT were recasting the mould of rock'n'roll in a way that not only donated 30 Seconds Over Tokyo to their art-rock successors outta Cleveland Ohio, but also gave the world the garage rock classic Sonic Reducer, and Pearl Jam and company the model for grunge (and some tunes to cover).

This revisitation of their glory days, some 40 years on from their initial demise, shifts into top gear on track three, with a cover of The Sonics' classic Strychnine, follows it with Sonic Reducer, and stays essential to the closing Parking Lot At The Rainbow's End, via the sly I Keep A File On You, and the glorious opening cry of "What's in your refrigerator?" that opens Coopy (Schrodinger's Refrigerator) and reminds you where Thomas went next.

But that it hardly the point here. Black Record is just raw rock'n'roll that so many try (and fail) to emulate.

Keith Bruce